Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-03-09
ADJOURNMENT OF CONGRESS-.

The 49th Congress, which ended its eX-
istence at noon last Friday, has offered a
striking illustration of the constant in
crease in the volume of legislation demand
ing the attention of Congress, which has
been going on for the last three or more
Congresses. More bills were introduced in
| both houses, more committee reports made,
| more bills passed, more became laws, and
more were vetoed than ever before. Most
| of these measures were comparatively un-
| important, such as bills granting private
pensions and special relief, authorizing the
erection of bridges, granting the right OF
| way and the like. But many, not only OF
| the bills and reports presented, but OF the
laws enacted, were of general interest and
| importance. A number of bills enacted in
| to laws were old and familiar claimants for
| legislative favor. In this category belong
the Presidential succession bill, the electoral
and the bill for the relief of Fitz-John Por-
| ter.
The 49th Congress commenced its session
on December /, 1885, and was in session
| until August 5, when it adjourned until
| December 6, when it met again and contin-
ued in session until its close last Friday,
covering a total period of ten months and
twenty-six days. Of this time the Senate
was in session 224 days and the House 251
days. There were introduced in the House
during this time II ,25S bills and 263 joint
resolutions, on which over five thousand
reports were made, being several thousand
| more bills and thousand more reports
than were made in the 4Sth Congress, which
had, in its time beaten the record: In the
Senate there were introduced 1857 bills and
| ;nf Inf which I n.
| ten reports were made, being upward of
| five hundred more bills and over four hun
dred more reports than were made in the
record breaking 4Sth Congress. The total
| number of laws enacted were (approXi-
mately) /, ,431, of which 1908 originated in
the House and 33S in the Senate-2S4 of
these became laws by the expiration of the
constitutional ten days limitation. Fifty
| bills failed to become laws owing to the
| adjournment of Congress, nine OF them at
! the close of the first session. There were
1872 bills vetoed by the President, or 81
more instances of the exercise of the
occurred from the foundation of the Gov
ernment down to the beginning of this
Congress. OF the vetoed bills 90 originated
| in the House and 80 in the Senate. But
one private bill, that granting pension to
Joseph Romiser, and one public bill, that
providing for the erection of Government
building at Dayton, Ohio, succeeded in pass
ing through both houses over the Presi-
dents veto, although several others obtain
ed the requisite two-thirds vote in the Sen
ate only to fail in the House.
The features of the closing hours of the
49th Congress are conspicuously notewor-
thy. While more than the usual degree
of asperity was developed by the clash OF
opposing interests during the protracted
and wearying session of the past few days,
the general department of the members OF
both houses and of the throngs which came
to witness the proceedings was never more
exemplary or orderly. On the other han
never since Congress had an existence has
there been such uncertainty, such hurly
burly, such general disregard of parlia-
mentary safeguards in the transaction OF
important business as characterized the
proceedings of Thursday, Thursday night
and Friday. In the nature of things the
confusion has been more apparent in and
about the Senate chamber than at the
! other end of the Capitol, for it was the